Apparatus for saturating sheet material



NOV. 3, 1931. LQW r 1,830,741

I APPARATUS FOR SATURATING SHEET MATERIAL Filed Aug. 3. 1928 v 2 Sheets-Sheet l 0 A v D a 5 D (g A D M 7 x s D A fig N A: g INVENTOR 'DAvlp Law awe \ A I ATTORNEY Nov. 3, 1931-. ow 1,830,741

' APPARATUS FOR SATURATING SHEET MATERQIAL Filed Aug. 5, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 iNVENTOR ,PA v/p Z- a ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 3, 1 931 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcE DAVID LOW, OF LYNDHURST, NEW J ERSEY; ASSIGNOR TO THE PATENT AND LICENSING CORPORATION, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS APPARATUS FOR SATURATING- SHEET MATERIAL Application filed August 3, 1928. Serial No. 297,322.

. This invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of composition roofing material and more particularly to roofing material produced by continuous operation upon a fibrous sheet, whereby, the latter is first impregnated with waterproofingsaturant and thereafter provided on one or both of its surfaces with a protecting layer of Waterproof and weatherproof material such as blown asphalt or the like, the protecting layer being ,7 also, if desired, masked with a surfacing layinto the pores thereof, the sheet being then withdrawn from the bath or tank andexcess saturant squeezed from the surfaces thereof.

This procedure, however, was capable of filling only to a limited degree, the pores. of the sheet and coating the fibers thereof. It is desirable, of course, in order to produce a stronger and more waterproof sheet to provide for a more complete saturation thereof, so that substantially the entire pore space of the sheet is occupied by the saturating material, with a corresponding minimization in the capacity of the sheet to absorb water or moisture. More recently, methods have been adopted for effectually increasing the degree of saturation attainable, these improved I methods being generally capable of filling the sheet to an extent approximating 95 to 100% of the theoretical maximum capacity of the sheet to absorb saturant, as compared with a saturating efliciency of only 60 to 80% att ainable with the prior practice.

The improved methods here referred to are based upon-the principle of leaving upon the surfaces of the sheet after the removal thereof fromthe saturating bath, an excess of the saturatin material regulated. in accordance with t e desired extent of saturation of the sheet and causing this excess to be sucked mto the sheet by permitting the sheet to cool, as by rial left upon its "surface orsurfaces to be' sucked into the interior of the sheet.

In thepractical operation of these improved methods, one arrangement for expos;

- ing the sheet to the atmosphere for considerable time consists in conveying the sheet over a looping or festooning mechanism. It has been found that there is a tendency for excess satur'ant present on the surface of the sheet which is in contact with the looping mechanism to adhere to the mechanism and congeal, and accumulate in relatively heavy layers thereon as the cooling of the sheet progresses, so that upon attempted removal of the sheet from the looping or suspending mechanism, the sheet is liable to and does frequently tear.

The principal object of my invention is to eliminate the foregoing difficulty inthese improved methods. I

Other objects will be apparent from the following description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which;

Figure 1 represents diagrammatically one form of suspending or looping mechanism for the saturated sheet, and the co-operation with this mechanism of one device that may be used inaccordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus shown in Figure l Figure 3 is a vertical-section taken along line 33 of Figure 2. Y

Referring to Figure 1, the numeral 10 indicates the fibrous sheet of felt, which may be composed of rag, asbestos, hair or similar fibers, or mixtures of these as desired. The sheet is, shown as it is being fed to a looping or festooning mechanism from a saturating tank (not shown). It will be appreciated, of course, that the shoot) 10, upon leaving the saturating tank, contains a substantial quantity of the saturating material onthe interior thereof, and also has on one or both of its surfaces a controlled excess of the saturating material, which excess is to be carried into the pores and interstices of the sheet as it cools during its progress through the festooning mechanism.

The looping or festooning device, as shown, may comprise a pair of endless parallel chains 11, passing around sprockets 12. A number of looper bars 13, spaced apart a suitable distance, and arranged parallelly with one another, are fixed at their ends to the chains 11, each of these bars being adapted to support a loop or festoon of the sheet. The sprocket-wheels 12 may be driven from any suitable source so as to actuate the chains 11 and cause them to move continually at the desired speed, to thereby convey the looper bars 13 over an endless path as indicated by the arrows.

Mounted adjacent and above one of the upper pairs of sprockets 12, are a pair of draw rolls 15, which assist in propelling the sheet from the saturating tank to the festooning mechanism, it being understood, of course, that suitable feed rolls are also provided ad- 0 jacent the outlet of the saturating tank to propel the sheet therefrom, these latter feed rolls being also preferably constructed so as to leave upon one or both faces of the sheet, a regulated excess of the saturant for the purpose heretofore described. A suitable idle pinch roll 16, is supported on a pair of rockable arms 17, pivoted as at 18 to permit the roll 16 to be raised by contact with the successive looper bars 13. The rate of travel of the chains 11 is so timed in relation to the speed of the draw rolls 15, that when a loop has been formed in the sheet of suflicient length between a pair of successive looper bars, the following looper bar will come in contact with the idle roll 16 to raise the latter and cause the same, by its own weight, to pinch the sheet between its lower surface and the upper surface of the contacting bar 13,

j to thus prevent any more of the sheet being bars 13 to the point 19, where the sheet is removed from the looper bars and led to the next stage in themanufacture, while the looper bars continue on in their path.

' It will be seen, therefore, that as the sheet is supported by the festooning mechanism, substantially one half of the surface of each looper bar is in contact with the lower surface of the sheet. Hence, any saturant remaining on the lower surface of the sheet, has a tendency to adhere to the looper bar and congeal thereon so as to render the sheet liable to be torn at the point 19 where it leaves the festooning mech mm In addition, the continuous nature of the operation results in accumulation of saturant material in heavy layers upon the surfaces of the looper bars.

In carrying out my invention, I provide means for effectively lubricating those portions of the surface of each looper bar which comes in contact with the sheet, with a thin film of a suitable lubricant which will prevent the asphalt or other saturant from adhering'to the looper bars. As illustrated, the preferred arrangement includes a pan 20, forcontaining the lubricant, and a mechanism 21 for picking up the lubricant from the pan 20 and applying it to the desired portions of the surfaces of each looper bar. It will be apparent from the illustration that the portions of the looper bars which support the sheet, will be directed upwardly during the passage of the bars through the upper horizontal run 11a, of the endless carrier 11 and will then be facing downwardly during the travel of the looper bars through the lower horizontal run 11b of the carrier, so as to be in proper position for the reception of the lubricant.

The transferring mechanism 21 as shown, comprises a series of radially extending arms 22, fixed to an idle shaft 23. The outer extremities of the arms 22 are formed with semi-cylindrical troughs 24 concentric with and 'of slightly larger diameter than the looper bars. The centers of the troughs 21, are each at an equal distance from the center of the shaft 23, and the circumferential dis-.

tance between the centers of the successive troughs is substantially equal to the linear distance between the centers of the successive looper bars 13. The edge portions of the troughs are preferably formed with out wai-dly curved lips 24-a. Continuous rotation of the shaft 23 in the direction shown by the arrows, is effected by contact of the successive looper bars 13, with the curved inner surface of the troughs 24, each looper bar co-operating with one of the troughs, so as to mesh therewith. As will be apparent from the illustration in the drawings, the rotation of the shaft 23 by contact of one looper bar with a co-operating-troughwill cause the succeeding trough to approach the succeeding looper bar so'that at substantially the instant the first named looper bar has passed out of and beyond its cooperating trough, the succeeding looper bar will then be in contact with the succeeding trough, and hence during the continued forward movement of the looper bars, the shaft 23 will be automatically actuated by the bars to rotate progressively and in timed relation with the looper bars. maximum upright position of each trough, the looper bar, in its continued forwarded movement, begins toseparate from its cooperating trough until finally these two are Beyond the out of contact and the succeeding looper and 'co-operating trough are brought into contact.

- In order to transfer lubricant from the pan 20 to the surface of the looper bars, I may maintain the lubricant at such a level as to submerge the troughs therein as each trough reaches substantially its lowermost position in the'rotation to cause some of the lubricant to be picked up in a small pool on the inner surface thereof for transferal to the looper bars. As shown, however, I prefer to maintain the lubricant in the pan 20 at a level lower than that which would submerge the troughs 24 and to employ in conjunction with each of the troughs a wiper 27 of burlap, cloth or other suitable flexible absorbent material fixed along one edge of each of the troughs in such a way that the wiper will dip into the lubricant and pick up a sufficient quantity to adequately lubricate the co-operating looper bars. As each wiper leaves the bath of lubricant during the rotation of the shaft 23, it will fall into a depending position across the open mouth of the trough to which it is attached, so that as the trough approachesa looper bar and the two then begin to intermesh, the looper bar will cause the wiper to be depressed or forced into the trough and thereby transfer the lubricant to the looper bar by the resultant wiping action. After each looper bar has had lubricant applied thereto by a wiper 27, and the trough separates from the cooperating looper to continue in its rotation, toward the pan 20, the wiper will fall into a dependent position as shown at 2(b for proper submergence in the lubricant bath to pick up further quantities of the lubricant. The material I may use as a lubricant is referably a soft crude Wax, having a melting point materially lower than that of the saturant for the sheet. of felt forming the roofing base. In place of the wax, I may use fuel oil, machine oil, or any other material, preferably of more or less unctuous nature and of a lower melting point and viscosity than that of the saturant for the roofing base. In any case, however, the melting point of the lubricant should be sufficiently low to enable it to remain in liquid condition under the normal heat of the loop er bars 13. By thus interposing between the surface of the looper bars and the portion of the sheet'suspended thereon, a film of lubricating material which will remain liquid under substantially all conditions of operations and will itself be non-adherent to the looper bars, the sheet 10 may be prevented from sticking to the looper bars. The film of lubricant applied to each of the looper bars will remain. thereon while the sheet is supported by the bars and conveyed throu h the looping mechanism. More or less of t e lubricant may be removed from the looper bars by the wiping action that occurs as the sheet is progressively removed from theloopor bars at 19, the successive looper bars then passing on to the lubricant applying device to receive a renewed supply of the lubricating fluid as will be readily understood.

In order to maintain the lubricant at the desired temperature and fluidity, steam coils 30 or other suitable heating means may be located Within the pan 2.0.

It will be understood, of course, that the sheet 10, upon leaving the looping mechanism, may be conducted to the succeeding stages of the manufacture, namely, the application of the weatherproof and waterproof coating to the surfaces thereof, the coating operation then being followed by a surfacing operation and finally by a cutting stage where shingles of any desired shapeand size may be cut therefrom, all as well understood in the art.

While I have described one specific arrangement for carrying out my invention, it

should be understood, of course, that the novel concept herein shown and described may be embodied in other details of structure and in conjunction with sheet supporting means other than the festooning mechanism herein described, without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined by the claims hereunto appended.

I claim as my invention: 1. Apparatus of the character described comprising spaced members for supporting a fibrous sheet saturated with adhesive waterproofing material and means for applying to definite portions of said members a film of liquid adapted to prevent adhesive material on the sheet from sticking to said members.

2. Apparatus of the character described comprising means for supporting a fibrous sheet saturated with adhesive waterproofing material, and means actuable by said supporting means for applying to the surface of said supporting means a film of lubricant adapted to be interposed between said sheet and said surface 'to prevent adhesive material on the sheet from sticking to said surface.

3. Apparatus of the character described comprising s aced members movable in an endless path or supporting and conveying a fibrous sheet saturated with adhesive waterproofing material and mechanism for applying a film of lubricant to the surface of said members in succession.

4;. Apparatus of the character described comprising a series of bars traveling in an endless path, for supporting sheet material containing adhesive saturant, and means for coating the surface of said bars upon which said sheet is adapted to rest,-with a' film of liquid lubricant.

5. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a series of bars, means for moving said bars in an endless path, said bars being are - adapted to support sheet material containing adhesive saturant, and means for preventing saturant on the surface of said sheet material from adhering to said bars, said last named means comprising mechanism for applying to each of said bars a film of lubricant.

6. Apparatus of the character described comprising a series of bars, means for moving said bars in an endless path, said bars being adapted to support sheet material saturated with adhesive waterproofing material, means for maintaining a bath of liquid adapted to prevent the sheet from adhering to said bars, and means co-operating with said bars for applying to the surface thereof a film of said liquid.

7. Apparatus of the character described comprising a series of bars, means for moving said bars in an endless path, said bars being adapted to support sheet material saturated with adhesive waterproofing material, means for maintaining a bath of liquid adapted to prevent the sheet from adhering to said bars,

and means synchronized with said bars for applying to the surface thereof a film of said liquid.

8. Apparatus of the character described comprising a series of bars, means for moving said bars in an endless path, said bars being adapted to support sheet material saturated with adhesive waterproofing material, means for maintaining a bath of liquid adapted to prevent the sheet from adhering to said bars,

and means actuated by said bars to operate in synchronism therewith for applying to the surface of said bars a film of said liquid.

9. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a series of bars, means for moving said bars in an endless path, said bars being adapted to support a sheet of roofing material containing adhesive saturant, and means for preventing saturant on the surface of said sheet material from adhering to said bars, said last-named means comprising mecha' nismactuated by said bars for applying to each of said bars a film of lubricant.

10. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a series of bars, means for moving said bars in an endless path, said bars being adapted to support a sheet of roofing materlal containing adhesive saturant, and means for preventing saturant on the surface of said sheet material from adhering to said bars, said last-named means comprising a tank for lubricant and a plurality of appli-' cators actuable by said bars in succession, to pick up a supply of lubricant from said tank and apply the same as a film to said bars in succession.

11. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a series of bars, means for moving said bars in an endless path, said bars bein .adapted to support a sheet of roofing materia containing adhesive saturant, and means for preventing saturant on the surface of said DAVID LOW. 

